Ford claims 81.5 mpg in Fusion hybrid

Bryce G. Hoffman / The Detroit News
Ford Motor Co. claims it has set a new world record for fuel economy in a gasoline-powered midsized sedan, driving an unmodified production Ford Fusion hybrid just over 1,445 miles on a single tank of gasoline.

That translated into a whopping 81.5 mile-per-gallon average, nearly double the certified mileage of the new sedan. The Ford team, which included NASCAR driver Carl Edwards, accomplished the feat by practicing fuel-saving driving techniques, such as coasting to red lights and accelerating smoothly on greens.

"Not only does this demonstrate the Fusion hybrid's fuel efficiency, it also shows that driving technique is one of the keys to maximizing its potential," said Nancy Gioia, director of sustainable mobility technologies and hybrid vehicle programs at Ford.

According to Guinness World Records, the world record for the longest distance traveled on a single tank of fuel was 1,459.16 miles, but that was set by a diesel-powered Peugeot in Australia in 2002.

bhoffman@detnews.com (313) 222-2443

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Bill Ford: It's a great time to be in auto business

Bill Ford at Fortune Brainstorm Green conference.

(Credit: Martin LaMonica/CNET)
LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif.--Even though the U.S. auto industry has been badly weakened by poor decisions and falling sales, new technologies are bringing a new vibrancy to the industry, said Bill Ford, the executive chairman of Ford Motor.

In an effort to make more fuel-efficient vehicles, Ford Motor is placing its bets on a number of alternative technologies, including electric vehicles, biofuels, and clean diesel, Ford said during a talk at the Fortune Brainstorm Green conference here on Monday.

Ford himself was integral in the company adopting sustainability and environmental awareness in its operations. He spearheaded the construction of the Rouge River factory, which adopted a number of techniques to minimize energy and water use.

Moving the company to cleaner technologies and environmental responsibility has helped Ford financially and motivated employees, Ford said. Many of the changes Ford adopted at Rouge River in Michigan made sense financially and its improvements into fuel efficiency have helped the company.

"I am so energized by what is going on now--it's fantastic. Not only is it the right thing to do but there's also all this cool technology being developed now," Ford said. "Not just in powertrains, but in safety, communications--it's a really cool time to be part of the industry."

Ford plans to bring small cars designed originally for congested cities in Europe to the U.S., he said.

"The downsizing of the fleet is going to happen. We at Ford are placing a big bet on that," he said. "It's a bet we're making because we believe that it's the right thing to do. Whether we get the timing right--don't know."

Over the years, the culture of the company has changed gradually to take the notion of environmental sustainability more seriously.

"When I joined Ford board in 1988, I was told I had to stop associating with any known or former environmentalists," he joked. At the time, Ford said that it was important for the company to have a dialogue with environmental groups.

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Ford fuelin' Fiesta hype

Ace Young from American Idol, poses with a car.
Ford is giving its new Fiesta a different kind of rollout, with 100 contest winners who will get a car, gas and cameras to chronicle their travels for six months.
The results will be posted on social networking sites like Facebook, YouTube and Flickr starting next month, the automaker said at an event in Times Square Friday.
Ford is hoping the campaign makes the compact Fiesta - billed as its most fuel-efficient nonhybrid - as big a small car in America as it is in Europe.
The "agents" who will help them hype the car's new features - iPod ports, driver's knee air bag, voice-activated commands - were chosen from 3,300 entries on YouTube.
Graphic designers Paul Heath, 32, and Zac Shaw, 28, of Kingston, N.Y., were among the winners.
The pals, who perform in an indie rock band called Dead Unicorn, plan to use their Fiesta for a cross-country trip.
"We heard about it from a friend," Shaw said of the promotion.
"We got real excited because we had a car that was broken down. This opportunity came up, and what better way to get back on the road?"
"We'll put the gas mileage to the test," Heath said. "It's a liberating thing."
The Fiesta is soldout in Europe and on back order in Asia, and Ford is banking on it to lift the company out of the doldrums in the U.S.
Ford hopes the model - which will be released here in 2011 - will change the public's perception of small cars. The Fiesta will cost around the same as a Focus, between $13,000 and $18,000, and get 40 miles to the gallon.
"A lot of people think of small cars as econo-boxes," Ford spokesman Alan Hall said. "You don't have to sacrifice what you want to get a small car."